The Stroke of Midnight
by mdiggory
Summary: While on holiday with her parents, Hermione stumbles upon an ancient society that will change her life forever.
1. Chapter 1

**The Stroke of Midnight**

a/n: So the idea for this new story popped into my head while I was rereading scifichick's Harry Potter/Lara Adrian's Midnight crossover fic. Adrian is coming out with another book next week but I'm kinda pissed that Chase, one of my favorite characters may not be in it. Since reading scifichick's series I've been totally hooked on a Hermione/Chase pairing and decided to follow the plot bunny down the hole. I'm not sure how far I'll go with this story, cause the idea just vaguely came to me but at the very least I'm thinking maybe five chapters. Let me know if it's worth continuing.

Disclaimer: HP and characters are the property of JK Rowling and the WB and the Breed characters are the property of Lara Adrian and Bantam Dell publishing

Chapter 1: So it begins

It was a very rare occasion these days that the breedmates were permitted to venture out in the world by themselves. Since the Rouges have declared all out war on the civilized population of the Breed, everyone has been on high alert, cautious of the ever present danger. But today the women of the order banded together and convinced their mates that a daytrip to Boston would be safe as long as they were together and promised to stay vigilant.

Tessa searched through the slim pickings of maternity wear in the chic boutique, sighing in frustration that no matter what she wore, she still looked like a seven month pregnant woman. Giving up on the search she heads back towards the dressing room where Gabrielle and Dylan were trying on dresses. She smiles politely to a rather tall and regal looking, dark haired woman who was waiting just outside the dressing room doors. The woman smiles back but her expression soon contorts into exasperation as the door to their left swings open and a pretty young brunette with wild curls pokes her head through the door.

"Explain to me again the reasoning behind purchasing this?" the girls asks in a clip British accent, motioning with her hands to a revealing red halter dress that hugs her firm curves perfectly. The girl arches an incredulous eyebrow to the woman.

The older woman beams at the girl, gesturing for her to step further out of the dressing room so that she may get a better look. The girl sighs but does as she is told, twirling around once so that the woman can check out the fit from every angle.

"The reasoning my dear is that you look absolutely smashing."

"It's a bit snug." the girl complains, fiddling with the hem

"Nonsense," the woman slaps her hand away, "it's the exact fit to _accentuate_ your assets."

"Yes, I'm sure father will be pleased with your assessment." the girl answers sardonically

"Tosh, what your father doesn't know won't hurt him." the woman dismisses with a wave of her hand. The girl takes a peek at the price tag and scoffs.

"I beg to differ, once he sees my charge account he's libel to keel right over."

"Your father would happily buy you the moon if it meant we would get to have you to ourselves for a few days." the woman tries to keep her tone even and appear unaffected but Tessa can see the way her eyes avoids her daughter's gaze as she stiffly goes about adjusting the fabric of the dress. The girl grips her mother's hand, forces her to make eye contact.

"I truly am sorry for not being around lately," she says, her voice full of remorse and though Tessa senses this is a private conversation she cannot turn away from the raw emotion in the girls hazel eyes. "It would be easy to blame my absence on work, but the truth is ever since…"

"I thought we agreed to put that all behind us and to start anew?"

"But that's just it mum, we're not dealing with it. While I still maintain that I did what I did because I love the both of you and the thought of your lives being in danger because of me was too much to bear on top of everything else that was going on at the time, I _know_ what I did was wrong. I should have spoken to you and dad first, explained things more clearly before taking such drastic measures…"

"Hermione, now is not the proper time to discuss…"

"But there's never a proper time," the girl checks herself as her voice rises in anger, "you say that you want to start over, no more lies of omission or half truths but you refuse to hear my reasoning for what I've done. How can you truly forgive me if you don't know the whole story?"

"I know that you are my daughter and that I love you dearly, I raised you to stand up for what you believe in and to protect the ones you love, for that I am ever so proud of you. But you need to remember that just because your father and I do not posses the same…talents as you, that we are not incapable of defending ourselves. While we have a basic understanding of the reason behind what you did, it's the execution that leaves something to be desired. _That_ is going to take some time to get over."

The girl nods her head, seemingly accepting that whatever her transgression was, that it would be a while before she was fully forgiven. Just as the serious conversation started the older woman shakes off her melancholy expression and turns them back to the decision of buying the overpriced dress.

Tessa is startled out of her contemplation of what the girl could have done to upset her parents so, when Dylan exit's the dressing room with an arm load of clothing shortly followed by Gabrielle.

"All set." she announces, looking to the red head for confirmation

"Yeah, me too let's pay so we can meet the others for lunch." the two head for the register and Tessa takes one last glance back at the young girl and her mother before following her friends.

* * *

It's a perfect spring day, so the five women decide to have their lunch on the patio of the elegant bistro in downtown Boston. Skimming her menu for the perfect meal, Tessa spies movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning to her left she spots the two women from the boutique being seated at the table next to theirs. The older woman appears to be in a jovial mood but Tessa can read the underlining tension in her shoulders and it seems that Elise, being an telepath, has also picked up on her distress.

Gripping the edge of the table, Elise takes a deep breath as she attempts to get her empath abilities under control. Tessa leans forward to clasp one of her hands.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, it's just been a while since I've been around so many people." she says quietly in a way of explanation. Tessa nods her head in sympathy, she tries to catch Elise's eyes to discern if being out in the middle of the day surrounded by so many people, is too much for the telepath to bear but Elise is staring off to her right completely focused on something. Curious to see what has her friend so entranced, Tessa glances over to find the young brunette from the boutique locked in an intense standoff with Elise.

Her penetrating hazel eyes almost appear as though they are challenging Elise to try to peak into her mind, but that's crazy, Tessa dismisses, there's no way she could know that Elise can read minds. Yet there is a knowledgeable gleam that tells Tessa that that is _exactly_ what she is doing. Elise suddenly jerks back in her seat as though she were physically pushed, breaking the visual contact. The normally well composed blond, looks a bit discombobulated and quickly excuses herself to the restroom.

"Would you like me to come with you?" Tessa politely offers, causing the three other women at their table to take notice of Elise's distress.

"No, thank you," she declines, "I'll simply freshen up and return shortly." with one last fleeting glance to the young brunette, Elise walks off in search of the ladies room. Tessa stares after her long after she disappears behind the door, worrying her bottom lip. They had promised their mates that they would not let each other out of their sight, it was the most important condition placed upon their little outing and Tessa had just violated the agreement. Normally a trip to the ladies room wouldn't be cause for alarm but in the midst of war anything was a possible threat, which brings her back to the reason for Elise's sudden departure.

Tessa turns to find the girl staring at her with the same unreadable look she'd given her lunch companion. For a split second, Tessa considers that the girl may be a minion, but her eyes were too expressive, calculating instead of the empty void that appears when a Breed Vampire drains a human of their soul, forcing the human into servitude. Tessa nudges Dylan slightly, signaling that they should get the check and leave as soon as possible, this girl may not be a minion sent to spy on their group but there was definitely something off about her.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Stroke of Midnight**

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Lara Adrian and their respective publishing.

Chapter 2: Holiday From Real

"What did you hear?" Tess asks fifteen minutes later as Dylan navigates the large black Yukon Denali effortlessly through mid afternoon traffic back to their Order headquarters. She adjusts the seatbelt over her protruding belly so she can crane her neck to speak with Elise, in the backseat.

"Pardon?" Elise asks, her mind has been a little fuzzy since her run in with that strange girl at the restaurant. She's encountered numerous Telepaths and Empaths during her many years of living but never has she experienced one so strong and focused, which leads her to the conclusion that the seemingly innocent human girl may not be so human after all.

"In the café, that girl sitting at the table next to us, brown curly hair?" Tess clarifies, garnering the attention of Dylan, Gabrielle and Savannah. "You were staring at her so intently that I assumed you were reading her thoughts."

"In a fashion." Elise vaguely replies, "When she was seated, almost immediately I felt this wave of…I'm not truly sure how to describe it but it seems as though she must have picked up on something from me as well because when I tried to read her mind to see if she meant us harm, there was…nothing."

"So she wasn't a threat, there was nothing wrong?" Dylan asks, glancing in the rearview mirror momentarily.

"No, I mean nothing as in I could hear _nothing_." Elise repeats, still confused on why she couldn't get a read on the girl.

"Nothing, is that even possible?" Gabrielle asks, equally perturbed.

"I've felt through other telepaths minds before but this was something completely different…it was as if she had somehow cloaked her thoughts. There was not even a whisper, the amount of control it takes to maintain that sort of barricade is unfathomable. But that's not the worst part…before she forcefully pushed me out, she managed to latch on to one of my passing thoughts."

"Were you able to tell what she saw?" Once the car clears the city limits, Dylan subtly increases speed to make it back to the mansion before sundown.

"My Breedmate mark…I believe she recognized it."

* * *

"Are you sure you won't join us poppet? I hate leaving you by yourself while your father and I are at the convention." Helena Granger asks, standing in the adjoining doorway of their hotel suite watching Hermione retie the strings of her bikini top behind her neck .

"I'll be fine mum. Really, I'm going to the pool for a quick dip and at four there's a book reading at the library next door, no worries I have plenty of things to occupy my time until you and dad return." Before her mother could protest further, Hermione jumps up from the bed, slips into her favorite pair of Coach wedge sandals and pecks her mums cheek on her way out the door.

"Alright," Helena relents to her daughter's retreating back, "we'll meet you for supper at 7."

Breaking the surface of the water Hermione takes a much needed deep breath. Running a hand over her face her eyes sting a little from the heavily chlorine dosed pool water. The indoor heated pool was especially quiet at this time of day, the only other people around were two kids playing in the shallow end under their watchful mothers eye and a twitchy looking pool attendant who kept sending her odd looks from the moment she removed her sarong. Maybe wearing that bikini Fleur Weasley talked her into purchasing last month wasn't such a brilliant idea after all, _'It will drive ze men wild' _the Frenchwoman proclaimed.

At twenty years old Hermione has finally become comfortable in her own body, which has filled out quite nicely she has to admit. She's learned to tame her unruly curls so they now fall down her back in a more civilized manner, her breast though not as large as she would like were perky and suits her small frame, but her eyes are her favorite feature, once thought of as simply brown when everyone else has such beautiful greens and blues, shine a vibrant hazel tinged with gold.

Hermione sighs, thinking about the end of her holiday and subsequent return back to Britain. The last three days in Boston has been wonderful, catching up with her parents in between the lectures her father was giving at the Dental Association Conference, and taking a much needed break from her very time consuming work as an analyst for the Wizarding Intelligence Agency. This trip with her parents she barely gets a chance to visit, could not have come at a better time. To say that things have been rather tense between the majority of the Weasley's and herself would be a gross understatement, as it is Fleur and George are the only two out of the very large red headed clan with whom Hermione is still on good terms. After exactly three weeks of being Ron's girlfriend Hermione came to the irrefutable conclusion that being with him in a long term relationship like the marriage he and Molly were so desperately pushing for, would likely end in catastrophe. So once she aced her N.E.W.T.'s, Hermione set off for a very concentrated program at the prestigious Rambaldi Academy for Advanced Wizarding Studies in Greece.

Climbing out of the pool, Hermione meanders over to her big fluffy towel, draped across the lounge chair. As she dries her face and rings the excess water from her thick hair she gets that eerie feeling that she's being watched. A subtle glance to the side and she spots the jittery pool attendant standing in the shadows, his glazed over eyes roaming her half naked body with the most unpleasant expression on his gaunt face. Hermione quickly covers herself, gathers her shoes and keycard and makes her way back towards her room with the intention of reporting the creepy hotel worker to management.

* * *

Parking the SUV in the large garage, the women pile in the elevator that will lead them to the underground fortress of the Order's Headquarters. In the interest of full disclosure, they had decided during the car ride back to their heavily secured mansion to share with their mates the very peculiar encounter Elise had at lunch.

Stepping off of the elevator, Elise leads the way to the command room and stops short when she notices that every one of the Order's males were gathered around the room. Tegan was the first to look up, his keen Breed Vampire senses detecting his mate, noting Elise's distress he walks towards her, a question in his eyes as he helps her to a chair. The other Breedmates file into the room to be greeted with the same gentle and loving care by their own Vampire mates.

"We were just about to call you." Lucan Thorne, head of the Order states to his mate Gabrielle, "Are you alright?"

"We're fine," the redhead answers slightly confused, she knew that Lucan had originally objected to the women going out alone this afternoon but his relieved look upon their return seems a bit uncalled for. "Why, what's happened?"

"Around 4 a.m. a Darkhaven just outside of Agawam was infiltrated by a group of Rogues." Lucan explains, causing the women to gasp at the thought of one of the civilian Breed's well secured safe havens coming under attack.

"How bad was it?" Savannah asks, the tall caramel skinned beauty steps closer to her mate Gideon seeking comfort only their blood bond could give her.

"They were like lambs to a slaughter," Chase's deep voice echoes throughout the room, "when I was a member of the Law Enforcement Squad I warned them repeated about how lax certain sectors were in security." running a hand over his close cropped blond head, the tall broad-chest Vampire takes a harsh breath to calm himself.

"Gideon was able to pull up the preliminary report from the Darkhavens main computer server," Lucan once again takes the lead, "over 100 Breed dead, several of them barely made it out of their living quarters before they were taken down. And there are at least 40 females reported missing, along with computer files from the main database on all of Massachusetts Darkhaven locations and residents."

"So what does that mean?" Dylan asks, turning to her mate Rio, "You know, besides _Holy Shit_."

"It means that that Bastard, Dragos is getting bolder," Rio growls, the scars on his face from the explosion last year more prominent as he scowls in remembrance of being so close to taking out that scum Dragos a few weeks ago. But at the time it was either risk Dylan's life or follow after Dragos into the raging water and he chose to stay to protect his mate, something no other mated Breed Vampire would fault him for.

"Sunset is in 24 minutes, Tegan, Rio and I will head down to Agawam and see if we can gather anymore info on what Dragos' next move might be." Lucan orders, "Dante, you and Chase patrol Boston, do a sweep around the area Darkhavens," the blond nods his head and waits patiently as the dark haired Dante quietly says goodbye to his pregnant mate, "Kade, Nikko head north and do the same, everyone keep your lines open and the first sign of anything suspect, call Gideon here at the command center." when everyone had their orders the group begins to disperse until Elise remembers their reason for cutting lunch short.

"Wait, there was something…strange that happened earlier while we were having lunch." In light of the brutal attack on the civilians at the Darkhaven Elise isn't sure how relevant her encounter at the café might be but in dark times such as this it's best to leave no stone unturned so she tells the Order everything she can remember.

"And you're sure she wasn't a Minion?" Gideon asks, taking down the girl's description thinking that she may be in the Darkhaven's Identification Database.

"Yes," Tess answers, "I saw her right before in the same boutique, she was shopping with her mother. She didn't pay us any mind until we all met up at the café and that's when she…" trailing off Tess looks to Elise for a more thorough explanation of what occurred.

"She forcefully removed me from her mind and at the same time, I believe she read my thoughts." Elise admits, feeling somewhat ashamed that even with Tegan's strong GenOne blood nourishing her body she was unable to defend her mind against the assault.

"If she's not a Minion, then she must be another Breedmate, I mean how else would she know what your birthmark symbolizes?" Gideon reasons, "I'll check the databases, at the very least we should warn her that it's not such a good idea to be off by herself in this climate."

"She has a British accent, if that'll help narrow your search." Tess recalls, the conversation she overheard in the dressing room between mother and daughter replaying in her mind and once again she finds herself wondering what the young girl could have done to place the very visible emotional wedge between them.

* * *

Taking the steps at a quick pace Hermione is nearly out of breath when she approaches the correct aisle in the huge library, one last glance around she slips in between the tall bookshelves and enters through the invisible barrier that separates the Muggle world from the magical section of the library.

She finds a seat in the back just in time to see Miranda Goshawk take the podium to begin discussing her new book on spell work and her latest discoveries. Hermione has been looking forward to this book reading all day, Miranda being a huge influence on her work and something of an heroine to the young brunette. Hermione had even based her thesis project on Miranda's first book and it was Hermione's spell of combining certain Muggle technologies with wizarding methods that landed her the coveted position as Deputy Chief of her research department within the Wizarding Intelligence Agency.

So entranced by the elder woman's intellect, that Hermione didn't realize the time to meet her parents for dinner had come and gone. After having her book signed and a few burning question answered, she heads back for the secret entrance, slipping back through undetected. Or at least she thought she was, until she spotted the same creepy looking pool attendant lurking in the shadows of the tall bookcases. This section of the library was nearly deserted likely because of the obscure texts it held and with the building closing in a few minutes, Hermione had no other option but to assume she had been followed.

Pondering whether or not she should make a break for the hotel entrance less than 200 feet away and run the risk of exposing her parents to whatever this man's evil plan may be, or to blend in with the crowd and pray that he won't attempt anything in the middle of the plaza filled with Muggles, Hermione barely hears the soft humming noise emitting from her purse. Covertly checking the man's position 70 feet off to her right, she ducks her head and rummages through her purse, pulling out her specially designed Foe-glass, she gasps in surprise when the picture of five large men closing in on her from different angles, appears in the foggy glass.

With little time to think, skills born from months of being on the run from dark wizards and the specialized training each officer of the W.I.A. are taught, Hermione decides to take this fight away from pedestrian traffic, to find a secluded spot where she can use magic. One good thing about being an agent is that the government does not track her magical emissions, so use in a Muggle populated area won't be a problem just as long as no one sees her casting spells.

Ducking into an alleyway, Hermione tugs lightly on her necklace and the tiny silver pendant transforms into her newly acquired 11 inch camwood wand with a Heliopath's heartstring. Wand in hand, she unsheathes a skean from the leg strap hidden beneath her skirt, gripping the double-edged blade in her steady hand, she lays in wait for the first man to make his move.

Taken slightly aback when the attack comes from overhead instead of at the mouth of the darken alley, Hermione shoots off a stunner, sending the large man flailing through the air and crashing into a brick wall with a sickening crunch. The next man moved so fast that he was simply a blur and it took casting several spells in quick succession before she was able to make a direct hit and the muscular body dropped. Using the blinding blue lights to her advantage, Hermione hides in the shadows as three more men appear, surrounding her from each side. As another steps forward she gets a good look at her assailants, not only were they all very well built but their eyes were glowing fiercely in the waning light of her spells and large sharp teeth were protruding from their open mouths. _Vampires._

"Spectacular." she says dryly

"Alright you little bitch," the dirty dark haired one on her left growls, "enough games. Come along quietly and I promise we won't hurt you."

"You know, I have got to ask," Hermione scoffs, trying to buy more time, "does that line actually work? I wouldn't imagine anyone being stupid enough to believe that you're not dead set against tearing me limb from limb for what I've done to your mates over there."

"We don't have time for this monologue bullshit," the Vamp on her right hisses, bouncing on the ball of his feet ready to attack, "knock her on her ass and let's move, the Master is waiting."

Lunging forward he raises his gigantic fist, knocking Hermione across the alley like a ragdoll before she could even defend herself. Pain radiates through her body and she scrambles to regain her footing but the three have began to close in around their fallen prey. Securing her wand back into it's resting place around her neck, Hermione wipes the blood dripping into her eyes from the cut above her brow and positions herself on her hands and knees.

"Oh look fella's she's gonna make it easy for us." distracted by their raucous laughter the three Rogue Vampires don't realize the imminent danger until it's too late. Where small slender fingers once were now grew razor sharp claws, her curly brown hair curtaining her bowed head shortened into a thick mass of fur and the tiny body of a young woman transformed into a enormous Saber-tooth Tiger.

Sterling Chase sits atop the building in stunned silence. He has been tracking several Rogues through a heavily populated area of the city for about a mile and when he finally located the blood thirsty beasts, he finds them poised to attack a young girl. Radioing in to his partner, Dante that he's found some action, Chase prepares to step off the ledge of the five story building but halts when the girl's body begins to shift and morphs into something terrifyingly astounding.

To their credit, the remaining Rogues are only taken aback momentarily before the hapless leader charges the animal only to be skewered on it's long, curving canines. Howling in pain, the Rogue's screech jolts Chase back into fight mode and he effortlessly descends the long drop, coming up behind one Rogue with his titanium sword to quickly sever it's head. The last standing Rogue doesn't know where to focus his attention, looking back and forth between the formidable beast and one of the Order's Warrior's he tries to make a run for it but is shot down by Dante, who arrives at the dark alleys entryway.

Dante smirks, stepping over the fallen Rogue that's quickly dissolving into a gelatinous goop on the concrete but his cocky grin soon turns into gaping shock when he spots the beast semi hidden in the shadows. In a move so fast Chase doesn't have time to react, Dante lifts his 9mm and fires off half a clip. One titanium bullet skims the beast's shoulder and two more takes out her front left leg, the beast roars in agony, collapses to the ground yet valiantly tries to get back up.

"No!" Chase screams, planting himself firmly in between the wounded creature and his overzealous partner.

"Are you fucking nuts?" Dante yells, his bright amber eyes wide as he reloads his automatic. "Move outta the way!"

"No, we have to help her."

"Her?"

"Yes," glancing over his shoulder his icy blue eyes connect with the beast's alluring hazel gaze. "it's a long story."

Dante hesitates for a second then lowers his weapon. Noting his partner easing back, Chase unsheathes his tranquilizer gun and fires two shots into the beast's fur covered chest.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Stroke of Midnight**

A/N: sorry for the long delay, this chapter didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to but I just decided to post it anyway, no sense in going over it again and again.

**Disclaimer: all characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Lara Adrian**

**Chapter 3: The Breakdown**

"This is insanity, you do realize that right?" Dante badgers his partner for what has to be the tenth time since their return from downtown Boston. Squeezing into the elevator that leads to the sublevels of Order headquarters, Dante casts a dubious glance at the unconscious animal taking up the majority of the enclosed space. "Fucking certifiable." he mutters.

"We couldn't just leave her there, now could we?" Chase growls, annoyed that Dante was pestering him on the decision to bring the wounded Saber-tooth Tiger back to the Order. The soft ding signaling the lift reaching the correct floor cuts off further conversation and Chase gives Dante an expected look.

Sighing deeply the dark haired Warrior grasps the massive creatures hind legs and helps his partner maneuver their way towards the infirmary. Walking backwards through the swinging doors, Dante pauses searching for a bed strong enough to withstand the animals bulk weight.

"Over here," Chase grunts, nodding his chin at the metal gurney in the center of the room. With one last burst of energy the two hoist the Tiger onto the table, careful not to cause further injury.

"Tess' healing powers are still on the fritz because of the pregnancy but she used to be a vet, maybe she can patch up the thing's…"

"Her," Chase snaps, "stop calling her a _Thing_ or an _It_! She's a female, a human.""So you said in the car but I gotta tell ya Harvard all I see is a dinosaur that should have been extinct like a million years ago."

Ignoring the other Warrior's griping, Chase leans over the still unconscious form gently peeling back the makeshift bandages of his torn black thermal shirt over the bullet wounds. Her crimson blood oozes through the entry wounds and the scent of Hydrangeas and cinnamon permeates his flaring nostrils, making his pulse race, his fangs ache with the need to break free from the surface of his gums and his pants tighten in a surge of arousal.

* * *

It's been at least two hours since Tess removed the bullets from her front leg and slightly healed the wound but the tranqs Chase shot her with combined with the anesthesia required for the operation still has her unconscious. Chase runs a tired hand over his face, glancing at the large clock on the wall he notes that sunrise is still many hours away, it's only been one day since he's last fed but the distinctive aroma of her blood is driving him wild and he fights back the urge to sample her while she's so heavily sedated.

The slight swish of the beast's tail has him alert within seconds and standing at her side. His fingers gently brush over the soft brown fur covered head, staring in fascination as the whiskers and sharp canines begin to recede and the powerful limbs of the long extinct animal morphs back into a young human female. His breath catches in his throat when the transformation is complete, moving a long tendril of curly hair off of her face Chase is mesmerized by her simple beauty. Her high cheekbones, pert nose and succulent lips are so entrancing that he doesn't notice her somewhat dazed hazel eyes staring at him in confusion.

Though her wounds have been stitched up, the scent of hydrangeas clings to her blood soaked clothing, causing his fangs to emerge unwillingly from his gums. She gasps, drawing his eyes to hers and before he can explain, she flicks her tiny uninjured hand in his direction.

* * *

"Seriously Tess," Dante protests, "you've been on your feet all day. You need to rest."

"I'm fine my love, I just want to check in on my patient before I turn in…"

A blinding red light suddenly illuminating the dim hall, followed by Chase barreling through the infirmary doors and crashing into the adjacent wall causing, Tess, Dante and Elise to stop dead in their tracks.

"What the Frak?!" Dante exclaims, shielding his pregnant mate and Elise with his body, "Harvard, hey man you alright?"

Chase unsteadily climbs to his feet, he shakes his head and brushes the crumbling drywall from his shoulders.

"Fine." he replies tersely, eyeing the swinging doors and wondering how to get back inside without spooking the female. "I'm coming in," he announces loudly, "unarmed."

Moving gingerly towards the doors Chase lifts a hand signaling Dante to hold his position until he can calm the irascible girl. Slowly pushing one door open, he holds his empty hands out in front of his chest in a sign of surrender. The room is darker than when he was unceremoniously tossed out moments ago but his Vampire heritage allows for perfect night vision. The female is crouched behind a turned over gurney, with a blade in one hand and a long stick in the other, poised for attack.

"This is a safe haven, we mean you no harm." his earnest plea is met with a soft snort of disbelief.

"I would be more inclined to agree if your lot had not riddled me with bullets."

"What is going on here?" the head of the Order, Lucan Thorn's booming voice echoes off the sterile walls. He flips the light switch on, his eyes studying the unfamiliar female with the weapons closely. "And why does the hallway look as though a tracker trailer tried to ram through it?"

"You'll have to pardon the mess but I tend to get a mite trigger happy when I've been attacked and taken hostage." her words are slightly slurred but he can still make out the derision in her tone.

"Hostage?" Lucan questions Chase as Dante, Tess and Elise slip into the room.

"Are you in league with the muggle who was tracking me?" Hermione asks, standing tall to face her would be attackers.

"The Fraggle, wha?" Dante bewilderingly furrows his brow

"You are Vampires are you not?" shaking her head to try and clear the drug induced fog settled in her head, "I was accosted by five of your brethren earlier."

"Yes we are Vampire, " Chase speaks up, finally able to find his voice, "but we are not affiliated with the five who attacked you. We are Breed Vampires, are ancestors were alien life-forms that crash landed on this planet many, many years ago. The Breed forebears have bred with a select group of human females to produce a hybrid mix of Homo sapiens and other-worlders. Those vermin you had the misfortune to run into tonight are what we call Rogues, Breed Vampires that have succumb to their blood-lust and descend into madness." Chase tried to keep the explanation short and simple, judging from the girl's still wobbling stance, she was feeling the effects of the pain medication. "We have banded together to rid this world of the Rogues."

Hermione looks incredulously between the serious faces of the men and women in the room, feeling as though Luna Lovegood was conducting another one of her social experiments for some outlandish article to be printed in The Quibbler. "Honestly, what exactly was in those tranquillizers you shot me with?"

"You shot a civilian?" Lucan fumes, wondering how much damage control they would have to do to make this situation go away.

"In my defense, she didn't look like this when I shot her." Dante admits, waving his hand in the female's direction.

"It's true, when Dante and Sterling first brought her in she was a very large Tiger." Elise states

"Smilodon." Hermione absently corrects the woman.

"I beg your pardon?"

"My animagus form is a Smilodon. Despite the colloquial name of 'saber-toothed tiger', _Smilodon_ is not closely related to a tiger, which belongs to another subfamily, the Patherinae; _Smilodon_ is a member of the extinct subfamily Machairodontinae. There are several species but today only three are recognized; Gracilis, Fatalis and Populator. I, myself am classified as a Fatalis." the slip into lecture mode was natural and it gave Hermione a chance to gather her wits and form a plan of escape.

"So you're a shape-shifter then as well as a telepath?" the pregnant woman, who Hermione vaguely recalls seeing earlier in a restaurant, steps forward. "Elise was under the impression that you read her mind this afternoon when we bumped into you at the café."

"Those are a few of my talents, yes." Hermione answers

"A few," Lucan asks with a frown, he really dislikes the sound of that admission. "how many others do you possess?"

"With my extended education and specialized training I suppose my magical levels surpass those of an average Witch." It's not really considered bragging if it's true, Hermione surmises, after all she did graduate top of her class at the most illustrious Magical Academy in the world.

"A witch?" Elise's voice drips with condescension, "As in _Hocus Pocus, Abracadabra_?"

"Is that any less believable than Aliens from outer space mating with Earthlings to procreate a subspecies?" Hermione snaps at the snobby blond woman, who in turn has the decency to look abashed.

"You said that you were being tracked?" Chase interrupts the rather amusing squabble between the pretty tempestuous brunette and the blond woman he once thought himself in love with. "By a…_muggle_?"

"Yes, it's what we, that is to say Wizards, refer to non-magical people. He was 6'2", reddish/brown hair, hawk-like nose, he works at the hotel I am staying at. I was just getting out of the pool when I noticed him lurking about in the shadows and once again in the library right before I was ambushed, he inadvertently activated my personal safety alarms."

"Do you have any idea as to why he was following you?"

"Other than his possible perversions? No." running a hand through her thick mass of curls, Hermione fights off the lingering effects of the sedatives.

"What were you doing in that alley Harvard found you in?" Dante questions, his face paling at the though of what may have happened to the girl if his partner hadn't of arrived in time.

"As I said, they triggered my protective alerts and rather than risk breaking international safety and secrecy laws, I had to find a secluded spot to fight. So I lead them away from the hotel and…" Her eyes widen in horror and she frantically searches the room. "What time is it?"

"Around 2:30 a.m." Tess says, staring at the girl as she closes her eyes and curses under her breath.

"Bollocks, they're going to _kill _me." Hermione groans in frustration, "I must be going now, I'd say thank you for patching up my injuries but considering you, sir shot me without provocation," stiffly stretching her injured left shoulder, Hermione winces in pain and glares at the dark haired Vamp, who half shrugs in way of an apology, "I'll simply take my leave and we can just forget this altercation ever occurred."

Sheathing the double-edge blade back into it's leg strap beneath her skirt, Hermione's attempt to exit are blocked by the broad chest crew-cut blond Vampire.

"Wait," Chase says, stepping into her path, "you can't go." He can almost _feel _Dante smirking behind his back at his obvious attraction to the female, "For one, it's late and not safe to be wandering around by yourself. Two, you don't know where we are so how will you find your way back to your hotel and as you stated, you're injured and should be resting." _And if you leave, this gnawing feeling in my chest will likely drive me mad_, Chase admits only to himself.

Hermione stares deeply into his mysterious crystal blue eyes, swallowing nervously at the intense desire radiating from this strange man. _Oh but he's not a man_, her overactive brain ridicules her silly hormones, _he's a Vampire and this isn't an Ann Rice novel so quit adulating the dangerously gorgeous creature and go check on your parents._

"Thank you for the concern Mr.?" Hermione curses the blush that quickly sweeps over her cheeks

"Chase, Sterling Chase." He offers a small bow and raises an eyebrow in silent question

"Hermione Granger but it's been nearly eight hours and my parents are surely going out of their minds with worry," _or pissed and assuming that their daughter blew them off to rush back to work_, " and I should really let them know that I am alright."

Chase visibly deflates, slinking back a step to let the intriguing female walk out the door, he racks his mind to come up with a plausible excuse to keep her in his company for a bit longer.

"You could call them," Lucan's deep voice breaks the alluring spell cast around Chase and herself, "let them know you're fine and will return soon enough. That will give us more time to figure out why you were attacked by a group of Rogues."

Hermione wants to decline, find the nearest exit and leave all of these unfamiliar emotions swirling around in her chest behind but the captivating misty blue eyes of the Vampire named Chase is urging her to be bold and take a step out of her comfort zone, something she hasn't seriously considered since her days at Hogwarts.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Stroke of Midnight**

A/N: This has been on my computer since forever, so sorry for the long wait. I should also mention that I've only read the first four books before I lost my fangirl obsession with the Midnight Breed books, so I don't know how the series ends but since this is AU in the Potterverse as well I guess that doesn't really matter.

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Lara Adrian

**Chapter 4: The Coming Darkness**

With each unanswered ring of the telephone, the cold ball of dread forming in Hermione's stomach increases in size. Accepting Lucan's offer to use their phone to let her parents know that she was still in the country and you know… alive, seemed to be a good idea in theory. Now, Hermione's trying to convince herself that maybe her mother took an Ambien to help her sleep and _that_ is the reason she hasn't heard the phone in their hotel room or her mobile ringing for the past seven minutes. Finally giving up on the pretense that her parents may just be ignoring her call, Hermione hangs up the phone, her eyes roaming the room for Chase who has been hovering in the background as if he's afraid she'd bolt if he wasn't in the vicinity. Smart man.

"No answer then?" his deep voice rumbles through the stillness of the large study.

"I believe it would be best if I check on them in person. The man who was following me works at the hotel we're staying in, it wouldn't take much for him to learn which suite I'm in and I will not leave my parents defenseless for much longer."

"Understandable," He says, nodding gravely, "sunrise isn't for another few hours, I can take you back if you'd like?"

Thinking it would be better not to risk splenching herself by apparating with an injury while still semi-intoxicated from the narcotics in her system, Hermione accepts his offer, the fact that it will give her a little more time with Chase is simply an added bonus.

"Any luck reaching your folks?" Tess asks, waddling into the study.

"Er…no but Mr. Chase has graciously offered to drive me back to the hotel."

"Alright, I brought you a change of clothing," holding up the light sweater and jeans she can no longer fit, "I just figured it wouldn't be a good idea to show up in a torn dress covered in blood. One less thing to explain to your parents."

"I imagine they'd be more concerned with me creeping in at such an unholy hour not wearing the same clothes I left in but thank you, that's very kind."

"There's a guestroom just down the hall, you can clean up and change while I inform Lucan of our plans." directing her to the right room in the underground fortress, Chase waits until she firmly closes the door behind herself and Tess before walking back to speak with their leader.

* * *

"So she didn't get in touch with her parents?" Lucan questions Chase as the blond man loads his gun, packing extra ammo into the lining of his coat.

"No, I will take her back to Boston and maybe I can get to the bottom of why she was attacked by so many Rogues."

"I think I might have an idea," Tess interrupts, "I was helping Hermione to undress and I noticed a familiar birthmark on her right hip."

"Let me guess, a teardrop falling into a crescent moon?" Lucan heaves a sigh, rubbing a tired hand over his face. "This settles it, we can't let her go back to Boston unprotected."

"She's not exactly defenseless, I mean the girl took out three full grown Rogues on her own." Dante points out. "That was pretty badass."

"True but it's the other two that has me concerned. We still don't know what the enemy's next move is and he's getting bolder with each passing day. I don't even want to think about how unstoppable they would be if he caught himself a real life witch."

"Hermione is adamant about ensuring her parents safety, I will explain the risks involved and maybe have her relocated to a Darkhaven." Tess offers, in the short amount of time she has spoken to the girl she has already felt a need to protect her. Must be the hormones kicking in, nothing screams 'protect this girl' like healing said person's bullet riddled body.

"Something tells me that that conversation won't go over so well." Dante smirks, not just with Hermione but with Chase as well. The single males at the Darkhaven communities are notorious for pouncing on any and every single Breedmate. Mix in her distinctive gifts and beauty and he'd bet she will be mated to some poncy Breed Vamp within the year.

"It's more than likely that the pool attendant that followed her was a Minion," Lucan argues, "chances are he has already told his Master about her unique talents. At this point she may not have a choice."

* * *

In the confinement of the car, the scent of parchment and freshly mowed grass emitting from the man beside her was intoxicating. Hermione breathes deeply, getting lost in a memory of leaning over a bubbling cauldron as mother of pearl spirals of steam float up to tickle her nose. At the time those two fragrances were so easy to decipher, the grass reminded her of summers watching her father attempt to maintain their rather large backyard and the parchment was the scent most of her favorite first edition books held but until this moment she never understood the third smell that the Amortentia Potion claimed to be her own personal aphrodisiac: "Blood"

"Pardon?" Chase momentarily takes his eyes off of the road to glance quizzically at his passenger

'_Merlin, he smells good, ah I must look ghastly!' _she exclaims trying to subtly smooth down her hair "May I ask, why exactly does your friend refer to you as Harvard?"

"Before I joined the Order I was a member of the Law Enforcement Squad within Boston's Darkhaven. I was raised one of the privileged, my family regarded as one of the oldest and most revered lines. The best of everything education being the most important."

"Harvard University," Hermione nods in understanding, "not very imaginative is he?"

Chase chuckles humorlessly under his breath, remembering the initial resistance he faced from the Warriors of the Order when he came to them for help in locating his nephew. To this day he still can't get the image of Elise's anguished face out of his head when he was forced to gun down her only child right before her eyes. Something broke in him that night and caused him to turn his back on the world he had grown up in, finally seeking acceptance with the Order and a new mission to make certain no one else would suffer the loss of their family to the bloodlust.

* * *

The hotel's lobby is eerily quiet this late at night, their footsteps echo against the shiny floor and the man sitting at the front desk doesn't even bother to look up as they walk towards the bank of elevators. Strange.

It's unspoken that Chase accompanies Hermione back to her room. Normally she would be annoyed that some man thought she needed to be coddled and constantly watched over like some wilting flower but while it is obvious Chase is concerned for her safety, he isn't being overbearing, just sort of sticking to the background, providing her with backup in case the need arises. It's a good thing that he does too, the elevator barely clears the third floor before Hermione feels a shift in the air.

She quickly slams her hand into the emergency brake button on the wall panel, startling Chase as the elevator screeches to a halt.

"What is it?"

"My barrier has been breached," there's a slight panicked undertone to her voice and she wracks her brain to quickly formulate a plan. "help me with this." Together they manage to pry the elevator doors apart, though Chase could have done it on his own she's grateful that he doesn't bring that up. The elevator cab is stuck in between floors, Hermione shimmy's through the small space with little trouble, Chase's muscular frame takes a bit more effort. When he finally squeezes through, already Hermione has her wand in one hand and her blade in the other. She tilts her chin, motioning to the stairwell.

Hermione silently berates herself for not returning sooner, the entire four flights they climb the dimly lit stairwell to reach the right floor. The hall is empty, she can see her room clearly, midway down the hall the door to her suite is slightly cracked, Hermione and Chase take up position. She armed with her wand and him gripping a gun in each hand. Signaling silently that they will storm the room on three, Hermione casts a quick shield and they turn sideways as one unit, bursting into the suite and catching the assailants off guard.

* * *

The room has been ransacked, Hermione doesn't know what they were looking for but speculation on what is missing will have to wait. Right now her main objective is her father, lying in a pool of his own blood on the floor.

"He's still alive," Chase says, checking for a pulse, "just barely but we should get him back to Headquarters as soon as possible."

"I…I can't find my mum, I think they took her." Hermione's fragile voice causes Chase's chest to tighten. He doesn't want to voice the idea that maybe the Rogues who attacked her parents while she was out have taken her mother to either feed on her, turn her into a Minion to be used against Hermione or worst.

"Hermione, look at me," He commands. Her eyes are dazed, her hands are shaking and the room suddenly feels as if all of the warmth was being sucked from the air, "We. Will. Find. Her. Your father needs immediate medical attention, we need to get him back to headquarters and then I will have the entire team search for your mother, alright?"

She nods once, then again silently mouthing his words back to him. Chase begins to gently lift the unconscious man and head towards the door but Hermione stops him.

"Wait," with a flick of her wand all of hers and her parents belongings quickly soar across the room, clothes folding themselves and neatly tucking into open suitcases. Hermione shrinks the seven pieces of luggage and slips them into her pocket. Stepping over three pulsating puddles of decomposing Rogues to the last remaining Rogue lying unconscious after her spell knocked him into the wall, she points her wand at the sleeping beast, red sparks shoot out and thick ropes twine themselves around her captive. "I've got a faster way to get back."

Chase looks on, completely fascinated as she whispers a few words that causes what used to be the leg of the coffee table to glow momentarily. Grabbing her captive roughly by the collar, Hermione turns to Chase with a very serious expression and holds out the table leg to him. "Keep a firm grasp on my father and whatever you do, don't let go before I tell you so."

He can only nod mutely, swallowing the lump forming in his throat his hand connects with the smooth wood and seconds later there is a sharp tugging feeling behind his navel as the world spins wildly out of focus.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Stroke of Midnight**

Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling and Lara Adrian.

A/N: Sorry this has taken so long to update, I was trying to come up with a way to make this work but after reading what I originally had mapped out it became obvious that I would have to read the last book. Sighs. Here is what I have so far, Midnight Breed cannon up to book 4 and AU in HPverse.

**Chapter 5: Twenty Minutes to Midnight**

It's been an hour since they _literally_, magically appeared in the hospital wing of Order Headquarters and Chase is still trying to shake off the after effects of traveling by what Hermione called a _Portkey_. He's pretty sure that if he had ingested anything other than blood within the last 72 hours, that it would be violently expelling itself from his stomach.

Their captive is securely chained to the concrete wall in one of Headquarters holding cells but despite being interrogated by both himself and Lucan, Chase has been unable to make the Rogue give up any details as to Hermione's mother's whereabouts. He's just about ready to send for Tegan, the Order's most ruthless Warrior, when a sharp rapping on the heavy metal door announces Hermione's presence. Looking to Lucan for assurance to let the female in, Chase opens the door just enough for her to slip inside.

"Has he said anything of interest?" her voice is cool, controlled as she levels a steely glare at the Vamp almost casually hanging from his shackles.

"He's refusing to speak," Chase bites back a growl of frustration at their lack of gathering such important information. He wants to ask Hermione about her father's condition but the way she's eyeing the captive sends a involuntary chill down his spine. He shoots a hand out to grasp her elbow and pull her back away from the Rogue. The beast may be securely tied up at the moment but looks can be deceiving and he's not willing to chance Hermione's safety if he can help it. "There are other methods we can try…"

"Let me talk to him." Hermione tugs her wand from the chain around her neck, her thumb slowly caressing the now elongated, polished red camwood.

Lucan and Chase quickly exchange dubious glances with each other, then Hermione, the incarcerated Rogue and finally back to each other. The message is clear '_Bad Fucking Idea!' _and Hermione, sensing their hesitation, snorts humorlessly her eyes never leaving the captive's ragged face.

"I'm highly trained in the art of interrogation, it's been a while since I've had to put these skills into practice but when I did have to perform such duties…well, let's just say I was at the top of my class."

And that does not do a thing to ease Chase's worries but while her statement serves to creep him out just a little, Lucan seems to be persuaded to allow Hermione to take a crack at it. After all, it was her father than was nearly beaten to death, his body fed on by numerous Suckheads and her mother…God only knows what they have done to that innocent female.

"What are you gonna do little girl," the Rogue puffs out his bulky chest dauntingly but she can see the fear lingering in the golden slits of his eyes, "You wanna spank me?"

"No," Hermione mutters darkly, inching her wand menacingly closer to the Vamps face, "I'm going to make you scream. _Crucio_."

A great wave of anger swells within her, years of thinking '_why can't I just be normal_, _why can't I go on a simple holiday with my family and not put them in mortal danger? Why can't I be happy and well adjusted for five bloody minutes?_' The more she thinks about the complications magic has brought to her life the angrier she becomes and the resentment of her heritage only serves to fuel her rage.

In the back of her mind Hermione knows that she has gone too far this time, that she has allowed the ever present darkness within her to seep through. It's not until her jaw begins to ache that she realizes that the Rogue is writhing on the floor in agony, choking on it's own blood as the address to where her mother is being held drips from his lips in pure anguish.

Suddenly she's back in Malfoy Manor under the homicidal Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, her body wracked with an unholy torment while the woman called her filth, threatening to feed her to Greyback and his pack of werewolves if she didn't answer the questions. Hermione stumbles backwards, colliding into Chase's solid form, her own screams from that horrible night echoing in her ears and she feels the bile rising in her throat.

"I have to get out of here, I have to…I can't breathe…I can't."

Her distressed whimper pushes Chase into action. He grips her shoulders and races them out of the stifling room, through the dimly lit hall, up several flights of stairs and it isn't until she crumbles to her knees onto the perfectly manicured lawn seconds later, that Hermione can drag a sustainable breath of air into her lungs.

"Oh Gods, what did I do? _What did I do_?" she repeats over and over again, rocking herself franticly.

"You did what was needed to get the information so we can rescue your mother." Chase tries to calm her but even he has to admit that the display of magic was intensely unsettling.

"But to do _that_! You have to mean it," searching his cerulean eyes focused intently on her, Hermione shakes her head causing her wild curls to whip about her ghostly pale face. "I've never meant it before. Not during the Battle, not while on field assignments for the Agency. I've…I've killed before, Wizards who have raped and tortured and murdered innocent people and creatures but I've never used _that,_ ever! You have to _mean _it, righteous indignation isn't enough, you have to feel true hatred in your heart, to allow the darkness to consume you in order for it to work. Those who have used it have become drunk with the power to render another being unto madness. I've done the one thing I swore I would never do, never become. What I've done is…it's…_Unforgivable_." the word leaves a grimy taste in her mouth and Hermione suddenly feels the need to transfigure a toothbrush out of a blade of grass to wash the filth away.

"We all go a little mad sometimes." Chase winces as the words tumble out, he really has been spending too much time with Dante if he's starting to pick up on his partner's weird penchant for quoting movies. The girl in his arms begins to tremble and it takes him a moment to realize she's stopped sobbing and is now fighting a losing battle to contain her giggles.

"Did you just quote, Psycho?" her confused voice muffled by his bulging biceps holding her securely.

Chase blushes, clearly embarrassed that even with his well mannered upbringing, dealing with an emotional female has always left him ill at ease. _But at least she stopped crying_, he thinks, _even if I had to make a total idiot out of myself_.

A light rain begins to fall, slowly saturating their clothing and Hermione snuggles deeper into Chase's embrace for warmth. With her head pressed against his muscular chest she's surprised to feel the slightly erratic beating of his heart. _But of course Chase has a heartbeat_, she scolds herself, _he's not the walking dead type of Vampire_. Even after spending a decade in the Wizarding world, meeting all sorts of mythical creatures she's still a little thrown to know that Aliens really do exist. Chase and the other Warriors are only half Alien but still, _Twilight Zone_.

Her dad is going to get a real kick out of this when he wakes up after his blood transfusion is complete. Thank Taweret, his injuries were quickly healed by Tess, that's two Granger's the pregnant woman has saved in one night, here's to hoping she can make it three by morning. Speaking of Tess…

"In a long list of odd things that has happened to me in the past couple of hours, I couldn't help but notice that Tess appeared to search my body for something while she was helping me undress. Care to explain what she found?"

"You have a birthmark," Chase stretches his large hand over her right hipbone, where Tess informed them sat a teardrop falling into a crescent moon. His fingers lightly caressing the denim covering her skin, sending not unwelcome shivers throughout her body "it identifies you as a Breedmate."

"The Crescent-Islamic symbol?" raising her head to lock eyes with him, "When I was a child I used to pretend it was the mark of the Turkish royal family and I was their princess. I would lock myself away in my father's study and spend entire afternoons creating equal legislations for all of the people in my kingdom." Chase raises a perfectly arched blond eyebrow at her, "I didn't have many friends as a child," setting her initial embarrassment aside, Hermione gives him a wry smile and admits, "none to be exact."

"You are among friends now." he wraps his strong arms tighter around her shoulders and Hermione wants so badly to believe that what he says is true.


End file.
